Born in Glasgow, Scotland to Margaret and Edward Butler, Gerard was raised (along with his older brother and sister) in his mother's hometown of Paisley, Scotland. He also spent some of his early youth in Canada. His parents divorced when he was a small child and he and his siblings were raised primarily by their mother Margaret who later remarried. He had no contact with his father Edward till years later when he was sixteen years old, after which time they became close. His father passed away when Gerard was in his early twenties . Butler went on to attend Glasgow University where he studied to be a Lawyer/Solicitor. He was even president of the schools law society thanks to his outgoing personality and great social skills.
His acting career began when he was approached in a London coffee shop by actor Steven Berkoff (who later appeared alongside Butler in Attila), who gave him a stage role in the play "Coriolanus". He decided to give up law school for acting. He was later cast as Ewan McGregor's character Renton in the stage adaptation of the movie Trainspotting (1996). His debut movie role was as Billy Connolly's younger brother in the movie Mrs. Brown (1997). While filming the movie in Scotland, he was enjoying a picnic with his mother, near the River Tay, when they heard the shouts of a young boy who had been swimming with a friend who was in some trouble. Butler jumped in and consequently saved the young boy from drowning. He received a "Certificate of Bravery" from the Royal Humane Society. He felt he only did what anyone in the situation would have done.
Thanks to
www.guardian.imbd.com
for the biography.
